Skip to main content
Activity (Hands-On)Grades 4 - 6

Night-Light Pennant

A photograph shows a finished light-up pennant made from felt that is hanging from a wooden dowel and string with a push-pin into the wall. On the pennant, multi-color felt cutouts depict a space scene with planets, stars and a rocket.Light-up pennants can be customized to all sorts of fun designs!

Students learn the functions of pre-programmed microcontroller units such as the LilyMini ProtoSnap as they use them to create light-up pennants with LED components. Students design their own felt pennants and sew on circuit components using conductive thread. This activity gives students hands-on experience with engineering technologies while making creative pennants with LED lights that can illuminate in three pre-programmed sequences: all on, breathing, and twinkle.

Electrical engineers use microcontrollers to control individual components in a system. They can be programmed in advance with different sequences of code to control component behaviors. Microcontrollers are used in so many different applications, ranging from medical equipment to automobiles, and are an example of how engineering technologies are present in our everyday lives.

After this activity, students should be able to:

  • Explain what microcontrollers do.
  • Describe the importance of microcontrollers in engineering and artistic applications.
  • Assemble a system based on the LilyPad LilyMini microcontroller unit.

More Like This